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Colorado Springs Gets Stage 4 Of 2014 USA Pro Challenge As Top International Cyclists Return To The City For Circuit Race

Colorado Springs, November 4-------Pop the corks and spread the good news!

Colorado Springs is back in the 2014 USA Pro Challenge once again, and the world’s top cyclists will be in the city for the famed event’s stage 4 Circuit Race on Thursday, August 21, with the exact route to be announced in the future.

Colorado Springs hosted the first stage, the prologue of the inaugural event in 2011, and again in 2012, State 5 from Breckenridge to downtown Colorado Springs, but the city was not included in last summer’s edition of the elite international race.

After receiving interest from cities throughout the state, race officials have unveiled eight of the host cities that will serve as starts and finishes for the 2014 USA Pro Challenge, August 18-24. Several new additions will mark a pinnacle year for the professional cycling race, including the first-ever mountaintop finish during Stage 3 on Monarch Mountain. And with stages one through six in the books, organizers are looking to fans to provide feedback on four different options for the final stage.

“The host cities selected for the 2014 USA Pro Challenge will really highlight the majestic beauty of Colorado to our worldwide audience,” said Rick Schaden, owner of the USA Pro Challenge. “These cities are valued partners who help us continue to raise the bar for professional cycling in America.”

After overwhelming support in 2013, the race is heading back to Aspen for the overall start of the 2014 edition, where elite professional cyclists from around the world will be put to the ultimate test in America’s most difficult cycling race. The host cities and stages of the 2014 USA Pro Challenge include:

“We receive a lot of feedback from fans about the race and in particular the route, so, for the first time ever, we’re having fans weigh in on the final stage,” said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the USA Pro Challenge. “We’re excited to hear from our passionate fans. The 2014 edition is going to be bigger and better than ever.”

As new additions to the race, Monarch Mountain and Woodland Park, offer breathtaking scenery that will add to the overall impact of the race. Stage 5 start city Woodland Park, the “City Above the Clouds,” is renowned for its natural beauty and proximity to great outdoor adventures. Home to one of the sprint competitions during Stage 5 of the 2012 USA Pro Challenge, the city sits at an elevation of 8,465 ft. and is surrounded by national forest. Additionally, Stage 3 will include the race’s first-ever mountaintop finish, presenting the riders with a brand new challenge. One of Colorado’s oldest ski areas, Monarch Mountain’s base elevation of 10,790 makes it the highest in North America.

“I have been lobbying for the USA Pro Challenge to add a mountaintop finish to the race ever since the first edition, so I was thrilled to hear Stage 3 of the 2014 race will finish on Monarch Mountain,” said Tom Danielson of Team Garmin-Sharp. “Colorado has some of the most beautiful mountains in the world and the USA Pro Challenge draws some of the best riders in the world, so it makes perfect sense to add in a challenging mountaintop finish. I have ridden Monarch many times, so I’ll be ready when the race rolls around in August.”

Known for lung-searing altitudes and intense climbs through the Colorado Rockies, the race is the largest spectator event in the history of the state. The 2013 USA Pro Challenge saw part-time Aspen resident Tejay van Garderen of BMC Racing Team take the overall win this past August in Denver, after assuming the overall lead in Beaver Creek at the end of Stage 4.

"The USA Pro Challenge is something that motivates me from the start of the year,” said van Garderen. “It takes place in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and that happens to be in my backyard. I'm looking forward to defending my title on another challenging course."

Additional details regarding the start and finish locations of the 2014 race, as well as the specific, detailed route will be announced in the spring.

About the USA Pro Challenge

Referred to as “America’s Race,” the USA Pro Challenge will take place August 18-24, 2014. For seven consecutive days, the world’s top athletes race through the majestic Colorado Rockies, reaching higher altitudes than they’ve ever had to endure. One of the largest cycling events in U.S. history and the largest spectator event in the history of the state, the USA Pro Challenge is back for 2014. Featuring a challenging course, the fourth annual race will spotlight the best of the best in professional cycling and some of America’s most beautiful scenery.

About Rick Schaden

The owner and founder of USA Pro Challenge, Rick Schaden, is deeply involved in Denver’s restaurant scene as well as in the development of several major U.S. restaurant chains. Rick Schaden has invested in Denver gastropub Tom’s Urban 24, as well as the new fresh pizza restaurant chain Live Basil Pizza and the popular and rapidly expanding custom burger franchise Smashburger. A dedicated philanthropist, Schaden received the 2008 Stewart B. McKinney Award for his advocacy on behalf of homeless families and individuals. He currently supports Millennium Promise, a nonprofit that works to eliminate poverty, hunger and preventable diseases in underserved communities around the world, and the Denver-based nonprofit America’s Road Home, whose mission is to bring an end to family homelessness both locally and nationally.

2014 USA Pro Challenge is Back in Colorado Springs for Stage 4

Colorado Springs, November 4-------Pop the corks and spread the good news!

Colorado Springs is back in the 2014 USA Pro Challenge once again, and the world’s top cyclists will be in the city for the famed event’s stage 4 Circuit Race on Thursday, August 21, with the exact route to be announced in the future.

Colorado Springs hosted the first stage, the prologue of the inaugural event in 2011, and again in 2012, State 5 from Breckenridge to downtown Colorado Springs, but the city was not included in last summer’s edition of the elite international race.

After receiving interest from cities throughout the state, race officials have unveiled eight of the host cities that will serve as starts and finishes for the 2014 USA Pro Challenge, August 18-24. Several new additions will mark a pinnacle year for the professional cycling race, including the first-ever mountaintop finish during Stage 3 on Monarch Mountain. And with stages one through six in the books, organizers are looking to fans to provide feedback on four different options for the final stage.

“The host cities selected for the 2014 USA Pro Challenge will really highlight the majestic beauty of Colorado to our worldwide audience,” said Rick Schaden, owner of the USA Pro Challenge. “These cities are valued partners who help us continue to raise the bar for professional cycling in America.”

After overwhelming support in 2013, the race is heading back to Aspen for the overall start of the 2014 edition, where elite professional cyclists from around the world will be put to the ultimate test in America’s most difficult cycling race. The host cities and stages of the 2014 USA Pro Challenge include:

“We receive a lot of feedback from fans about the race and in particular the route, so, for the first time ever, we’re having fans weigh in on the final stage,” said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the USA Pro Challenge. “We’re excited to hear from our passionate fans. The 2014 edition is going to be bigger and better than ever.”

As new additions to the race, Monarch Mountain and Woodland Park, offer breathtaking scenery that will add to the overall impact of the race. Stage 5 start city Woodland Park, the “City Above the Clouds,” is renowned for its natural beauty and proximity to great outdoor adventures. Home to one of the sprint competitions during Stage 5 of the 2012 USA Pro Challenge, the city sits at an elevation of 8,465 ft. and is surrounded by national forest. Additionally, Stage 3 will include the race’s first-ever mountaintop finish, presenting the riders with a brand new challenge. One of Colorado’s oldest ski areas, Monarch Mountain’s base elevation of 10,790 makes it the highest in North America.

“I have been lobbying for the USA Pro Challenge to add a mountaintop finish to the race ever since the first edition, so I was thrilled to hear Stage 3 of the 2014 race will finish on Monarch Mountain,” said Tom Danielson of Team Garmin-Sharp. “Colorado has some of the most beautiful mountains in the world and the USA Pro Challenge draws some of the best riders in the world, so it makes perfect sense to add in a challenging mountaintop finish. I have ridden Monarch many times, so I’ll be ready when the race rolls around in August.”

Known for lung-searing altitudes and intense climbs through the Colorado Rockies, the race is the largest spectator event in the history of the state. The 2013 USA Pro Challenge saw part-time Aspen resident Tejay van Garderen of BMC Racing Team take the overall win this past August in Denver, after assuming the overall lead in Beaver Creek at the end of Stage 4.

"The USA Pro Challenge is something that motivates me from the start of the year,” said van Garderen. “It takes place in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and that happens to be in my backyard. I'm looking forward to defending my title on another challenging course."

Additional details regarding the start and finish locations of the 2014 race, as well as the specific, detailed route will be announced in the spring.

About the USA Pro Challenge

Referred to as “America’s Race,” the USA Pro Challenge will take place August 18-24, 2014. For seven consecutive days, the world’s top athletes race through the majestic Colorado Rockies, reaching higher altitudes than they’ve ever had to endure. One of the largest cycling events in U.S. history and the largest spectator event in the history of the state, the USA Pro Challenge is back for 2014. Featuring a challenging course, the fourth annual race will spotlight the best of the best in professional cycling and some of America’s most beautiful scenery.

About Rick Schaden

The owner and founder of USA Pro Challenge, Rick Schaden, is deeply involved in Denver’s restaurant scene as well as in the development of several major U.S. restaurant chains. Rick Schaden has invested in Denver gastropub Tom’s Urban 24, as well as the new fresh pizza restaurant chain Live Basil Pizza and the popular and rapidly expanding custom burger franchise Smashburger. A dedicated philanthropist, Schaden received the 2008 Stewart B. McKinney Award for his advocacy on behalf of homeless families and individuals. He currently supports Millennium Promise, a nonprofit that works to eliminate poverty, hunger and preventable diseases in underserved communities around the world, and the Denver-based nonprofit America’s Road Home, whose mission is to bring an end to family homelessness both locally and nationally.

Created in 2010, this year marks the 6th consecutive year of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb, an annual event of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation. This event attracts the top cyclists and recreational cyclists from across the nation and around the world.

Cyclists will compete or ride in a fully supported event and have the following options:

At an elevation of 14,115 feet, Pikes Peak - America's Mountain, is one of Colorado's 54 fourteeners, mountains that rise more than 14,000 feet (4,267.2 m) above sea level, and the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The mountain is named in honor of American explorer Zebulon Pike and is a designated National Historic Landmark. See below for more information on divisions, registration and pricing.

Registered cyclists will be notified of additional details via email as the event nears.

GATEWAY FEE: All registered cyclists will receive a pass to access the highway in their race packet. Everyone accessing the Pikes Peak Highway the day of the race must either have a pass or they will be charged the normal Pikes Peak Highway fee. Race support members and/or family members will be required to pay gateway fees outlined below:

Created in 2010, this year marks the 6th consecutive year of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb, an annual event of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation. This event attracts the top cyclists and recreational cyclists from across the nation and around the world.

Cyclists will compete or ride in a fully supported event and have the following options:

At an elevation of 14,115 feet, Pikes Peak - America's Mountain, is one of Colorado's 54 fourteeners, mountains that rise more than 14,000 feet (4,267.2 m) above sea level, and the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The mountain is named in honor of American explorer Zebulon Pike and is a designated National Historic Landmark. See below for more information on divisions, registration and pricing.

Registered cyclists will be notified of additional details via email as the event nears.

GATEWAY FEE: All registered cyclists will receive a pass to access the highway in their race packet. Everyone accessing the Pikes Peak Highway the day of the race must either have a pass or they will be charged the normal Pikes Peak Highway fee. Race support members and/or family members will be required to pay gateway fees outlined below: